A storage area network (SAN) can transfer data between computer systems and storage elements through a specialized high-speed network. In general, the SAN can enable the storage devices to be accessible to servers so that the storage devices appear like locally attached devices to the servers' operating systems. The SAN consists of a communication infrastructure, which provides physical connections. The SAN facilitates the flexibility of networking to enable one server or many heterogeneous servers to share a common set of storage devices. The SAN typically has its own network of storage devices, including disks, tapes, and optical storage that are generally not accessible through a local area network by other devices. The SAN also includes a management layer, which organizes the connections, storage devices, and computer systems so that data transfer is secure and robust. The SAN allows any-to-any connection across the network by using interconnect elements such as switches.